Scott must explain more

Published: Monday, March 11, 2013 at 08:00 AM.

Gov. Rick Scott’s third State of the State address last Tuesday was short on substance and heavy with political theater, leaving Floridians to wonder why the governor has changed course on critical issues such as the proposed expansion of Medicaid.

This was an important time for the governor to explain the controversial expansion, the costly state-and-federal program. Instead, he limited his remarks on Medicaid to just six sentences while he concentrated mainly on feel-good measures that generally won’t have a lasting impact.

Scott called the most attention to his plans to cut sales taxes on manufacturing equipment and provide a $2,500 pay raise for teachers. He also boasted of improving economic conditions in Florida, including lower unemployment and increased tax revenues. Scott touted some tough decisions he made earlier to balance the state budget, and made a good case that improving revenues give the Legislature an opportunity to increase funding for education.

But why give short shrift to Medicaid, perhaps the biggest issue before the Legislature this year? Well, Scott can hardly be blamed for being terse. The Legislature has the final say on the Medicaid expansion, and a panel in the House just rejected the proposed expansion by a vote of 10-5. The 10 votes against were all Republicans, like Scott.

The full House has yet to vote on the expansion. Speaker Will Weatherford has said he is against it. The Senate is reportedly leaning toward approving the expansion. So Scott has some more explaining to do.

Medicaid is already consuming a large portion of the state budget. As in many states, the program is growing with the continuing rise in health care costs, and those costs are putting the pinch on other budget areas, including K-12 education.

So what caused Scott — formerly an outspoken critic of “Obamacare” — to do an about-face on President Obama’s health care overhaul and the Medicaid expansion it offers states? Scott said in his State of the State that he had to take into account last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the Affordable Care Act. Scott also said the state was set back in its efforts to oppose Obamacare when Obama won re-election in November. Voters made him compromise, he suggested.

Gov. Rick Scott’s third State of the State address last Tuesday was short on substance and heavy with political theater, leaving Floridians to wonder why the governor has changed course on critical issues such as the proposed expansion of Medicaid.

This was an important time for the governor to explain the controversial expansion, the costly state-and-federal program. Instead, he limited his remarks on Medicaid to just six sentences while he concentrated mainly on feel-good measures that generally won’t have a lasting impact.

Scott called the most attention to his plans to cut sales taxes on manufacturing equipment and provide a $2,500 pay raise for teachers. He also boasted of improving economic conditions in Florida, including lower unemployment and increased tax revenues. Scott touted some tough decisions he made earlier to balance the state budget, and made a good case that improving revenues give the Legislature an opportunity to increase funding for education.

But why give short shrift to Medicaid, perhaps the biggest issue before the Legislature this year? Well, Scott can hardly be blamed for being terse. The Legislature has the final say on the Medicaid expansion, and a panel in the House just rejected the proposed expansion by a vote of 10-5. The 10 votes against were all Republicans, like Scott.

The full House has yet to vote on the expansion. Speaker Will Weatherford has said he is against it. The Senate is reportedly leaning toward approving the expansion. So Scott has some more explaining to do.

Medicaid is already consuming a large portion of the state budget. As in many states, the program is growing with the continuing rise in health care costs, and those costs are putting the pinch on other budget areas, including K-12 education.

So what caused Scott — formerly an outspoken critic of “Obamacare” — to do an about-face on President Obama’s health care overhaul and the Medicaid expansion it offers states? Scott said in his State of the State that he had to take into account last summer’s U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the Affordable Care Act. Scott also said the state was set back in its efforts to oppose Obamacare when Obama won re-election in November. Voters made him compromise, he suggested.

The federal government is trying to woo governors with a teaser rate. The feds pay for 100 percent of the Medicaid expansion for the first three years. That share drops to 90 percent by 2020. Republicans are right to be concerned about the dollars that 10 percent share will pull from the state budget — and skeptical that such generous federal funding will continue well into the future.

The uninsured need health care, yes, but the best way to ensure that is through a sound and growing economy and health care programs that operate under private-sector principles.

Scott should thus focus on relieving Florida of its sales tax on manufacturing equipment, and improving public schools. The Medicaid expansion could turn into a weight that will hobble the Florida economy in the future and limit the Legislature’s ability to adequately fund education and other critical services.